US committed to assist elections in Libya, Benghazi probe continues

(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The US on Wednesday said it is ready to assist where needed for elections in Libya, in order to pave the way for greater security and stability in the country.
The caretaker government in Tripoli has indicated the possibility of a vote in June, but despite heavy fighting in some parts of the country, the US says elections can still be held in that timeframe.
"We're prepared to help support elections preparation from here. We remain committed to working with all parties to encourage dialogue and unity and to avoid further violence," said State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki. "Moving forward with new elections that establish a broadly representative government will help lay the foundation for a more stable Libya." She added that Secretary of State John Kerry has been in discussions on this issue as recently as Wednesday morning with Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil Alaraby, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davotoglu, and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
"He's been speaking with a range of his counterparts around the world about shared concerns about the dire situation in Libya and what we can do as an international community to support the process moving forward," said Psaki. "And elections is certainly part of that." Officials from the Department of State have also "been in touch with Libyan officials and others to impress upon them the need to find solutions to a conflict that is threatening the stability of Libya and the region as a whole," she affirmed.
Meanwhile in Congress, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi selected five seasoned Democrats on Wednesday to sit on a special committee created to investigate the attack on the US embassy in Benghazi.
The appointees are Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings, Washington Congressman Adam Smith, California Congressman Adam Schiff, California Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, and Illinois Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth.
The US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, was killed along with three other Americans in an attack on their Benghazi compound on September 11, 2012.
The committee will be made up of five Democrats and seven Republicans, with an inaugural planning meeting set for Thursday.
The Obama Administration claimed for months that the attack was an ambush by protesters angry over an anti-Islam film, which had also sparked demonstrations around the world.
However Republicans accuse the Administration of fabricating the story to cover-up intelligence failures, as use of heavy-weaponry was discovered in the attack, as well as emails from a senior White House official instructing Democrats on how to approach the Benghazi issue in media interviews.